Ali Hassan Mwinyi

Ali Hassan Mwinyi (8 May 1925-) was President of Zanzibar from 30 January 1984 to 24 October 1985 (succeeding Aboud Jumbe and preceding Idris Abdul Wakil) and President of Tanzania from 5 November 1985 to 23 November 1995 (succeeding Julius Nyerere and preceding Benjamin Mkapa). He was a member of Chama Cha Mapinduzi.

Biography
Ali Hassan Mwinyi was born in Kivure, Tanzania on 8 May 1925, and he became a teacher in 1945, and in 1961 went to Britain for further studies. He was principal secretary to the Ministry of Education in Zanzibar, and from 1969 became active in Tanzanian politics under Julius Nyerere. He became Minister of State in the President's office, and became responsible for health from 1972 to 1975 and home affairs from 1975 to 1977. In 1984, he became President of Zanzibar and Vice-President of Tanzania, and in 1985 was elected to become Nyerere's successor as President (he was the only candidate). A more pragmatic politician, he sought to overcome his country's economic problems by abandoning his predecessor's policies. In 1990, he also became chairperson of the unity party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi, though he relaxed the party's monopoly on power through the admission of other political parties in 1992. His liberalization of the economy paved the way for short-term economic growth, and he left office in 1995.